Automatic film-feed.



UNITED STATES PATENT oEEioE.

CHARLES SPlRO, F NEW YORK., N. Y.

AUTOMATIC FILM-FEED.

Application filed February 29, 1916. Serial No. 81,149.

To all whom it may. concern Be it known that I, CHARLES SPIRO, a

` citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county ofNew York and State of New York, have invented certaln no w and usefulImprovements in Automatic 1 `ilm-Feeds, of which the followlng 1s aspecification.

`This invention relates to an automatic film feedfor photographiccameras and particularly to a construction.wherein the feed of the filmis automatically controlled by-the means used to operate the lensshutter and subsequent to the operation thereof. l

The invention has for an object to present ,a novelandimproved-construction by which' the shutteris operated and. the filmactuating' roll or drunVreleased 'through a pressure i device having asingle hand bulb and independent connections adapted for application toan ordinary 'lens shutter and film.v

'A further object is to provide an improved i escapement mechanismcomprising awheel having teeth at varyin`g intervals whereby eachnegative on a film 1s, through the cooperation of a dog device,accurately separated from the'adjacent one, notwithstand ing the.increased-diameter 'of the :oll of Vfilm after a number of exposureshave been made. p

Another lobject of the invention is to prov vide a novel arrangement of.shell carrying the film and adapted for connection and up disconnectionwith a spring actuated winding roll `or drum which Saves loss timer lostmotion' and inaccurate setting oi the film4 for the Yfirst exposure,while permitting the automatic rewinding of the spring when the exposedfilm 1s `rewountt upon its origl nal spool.

` Other and-further objectsand advantages Y vofthe invention will beliereinafter set fort-h and the novel features thereof defined by theappended claims InV the drawing'-- Figure 1 is :in-elevation, with aportion ofthe device shown in section;

` Fig. 2 is a vertical section on'the line 2--2 Fig. 3` is a detail rearperspective of the :escapement dogs, and

Fig. 4 is a detail vertical sectlon at' the center ofthe film holdingframe. v

Lilie numerals refer to likel parts inthe several figures of thedrawing.l

Specicatonof Letters Patent.

:ment mechanism.

Patented July 31, 1917.

The numeral 10 designates the camera casing which may be of any desiredmater-ial or configuration and/is provided with the front panel l1having the slide ways 12 upon which the standard 13 carrying the lensand its shutter 14 are adapted to be' moved when the camera is openedfor use.

' This' lens shutter may be of any preferred construction and is Shownas operated by th e air 0r fluid pressure tube or connection 15extending from the actuating hand bulb 16. The tube is connected withthe bulb by a three-way coupling 17 from which an independent tube 18extends to the film oper! ating means. y

These vmeans comprise a winding roll or secured at one end to the shaft21 and at its opposite end to the drum. A desirable means for connectingtheflm to this drum comprises a shell or tube 22 open at'one end Qfso asto slide over the drum, and having its opposite end 24 provided withinterlock ing projections 25' adapted to enter coperating recesses 26 inthe `head of the drum l 19. These parts may be pushed or moved tions ofthe film into proper position or exposure is c'ontrolled by a suitableescapecomprises an `escafpemcnt wheel 30 having a` ser-ies fo'f teeth 31upon 'the periphery thereof properly spaced at varying distances apartto permit different'cxtents of travel1 of the film relative to thediameter of its winding drum which progressively ncrca through the.collectiolrof` a greater body or bulk of film thereon. This wheel isVcontrolled by a dog device 32 pivotally mounted at 33 to -drum v19operated by a tension spring 20 A preferred form thereof .l

oscilla-te transversely to tlul path of travel shown embodies a solidtoothed member itl having an actuating tail 35 extended beyond The formof dog 'herein/f '.ex'posure.

In the operation ofthe invention the filmv jthe. pivot 33.'

' members are arranged to alternately engage the teeth of the,escapement wheel in the usual manner.

The wheel Ivi() is eoi'ulected with the winding drum` in anydesiredmanner, for instaneinjby the reducing gearing shown whicheti'ects a. relatively greater number of' revolutions` of the drum f'or'each revolution of the escapement wheel. The shaft 21 oit the drum isprovided with a. loosely mounted pinion '42 which carries' a ratchetJfVsecured to the shaft 2l. The pinion 42 .meshes with a gea-r 41 upon thestub shaft'l() which also carriesa pinion 39 meshing with a gear 37on'the shaft 38 of the escapement wheel.v This pawland ratchetconnection fronrthe winding drum shaft permits the rcwinding of thespring thereof without reversing or affecting the tension of thereducing gears5 Fig'. Z. ated byan inliatable bulb the tube 18 fromthehand bulb 16. At the opposite end of the casing from .the windingdrum the 1 1sual-film-spr-iol'44 is pivotally. n-iountedrand adapted tobe yrot-ated manually-ferrewinding the Afilm thereon by the key 45 ofordinary construction.- This operation also reiviiids the spring 'f thewind.-

ing. .drinn as the`escapement construction .permits such reversal ofmovei'nent.

- For the purpose o'f holding the filmfiit' in proper positionforexposure a frame has beenprovided composed of ii' fixed plate 46 and1 acooperating plete 47 'held in yieldingv contact therewith by a. spring48 pivoted thereto at 49 and bearing .panel or door 50 of the casinv.'pivoted at for .inserting orl removing the film orother purpose; .A The.rear of'. he 'camera is also This door is provided Vwith the-usua.glazed sight openf ing'I through ivhichlt e position ot' the film maybeseen -to-properly adjustA its connec- 'Winding drum for the first tion'with the spool is inserted in the camera. casing in the iis|i al'manner and .the fre'eend of .the film connected with the 'shell upon thewinding.

drinn. thespring of which 'is under tension. The shell lis thenadjustedindependently of thedrii'rn 'tof bring the film in properposition.

forthe first-exposure. 'These parts are then connected together asdescribed and held against rotation bythe spring Adog .device engagingthe vescapemeni wheel aiidalso being swung into contact ii'itlrthe stoplugl at oneside. When the hand bulb is compressed the shutter. isoperatedv andV the solid dog The' member 3l has pivoted' 'variedintervals provides forthe -equal travel of the film as the bulktlu-.aeof collects upon 'the winding drinn and the diai-neter'upon whichthe film is wound increases.

pawl engaging a.

asshown in The tall 3? of the dog device is actu-A or other suitablepressure operateddev1ce carried b point-s of contact.

'ble-of 'tion of camera without materially altering against the rear 51to permit access to the camera film successive exposures arefinad'e.

that the iiiventionlis not speciiicall oscillated through pressure uponthe tailthereot into engagement with the wheel dur'- ment off the dogldevice permits t'he travel of 7( the esenipenlent wheel for the distancebetween adjacent'teeth thus winding'the film sufficient to bring it inposition for the next exposuil'e. The spacing of the teeth' :it

After all .exposures have been completed thefilm may be rewound upon theoriginalspool which .is vthen removed for develoliing'and :i.- new spoolinserted. '.lhis rewiiiding action restores the tension of thel springof the winding drinn and this reverse movement is permitted by thecscapenient mechanism which'is held against its normal winding'- actionby the spring dog. The drum shaft is peri'nitted toreverse. its normal.rotation by the pa wl and ratchet connectionivi'th the loose pinionthereon when the film is rewound upon' its spool. The lhlm guidii'igtrame-holdsthe film. evenly in fiat position forexi-)osnreandthe-yielding member thereoflequaliz'es the pressure at all It will beseen that the invention is capa'-A application to' any ordinaryconst-rlicthe parts. thereof and no special structure of' shutter orfilmis require(v tei' and film releasing mechanism is an iml portantpractical and commercial advantage 'as it requires no changesin'theshutter and the ordinary film t-hiis the teeth upon the escapement.vv-heel insures each-negative in -a roll ofA fillinbeing evenly spacedfrom an adjacent one, notwitlistanding the 'increasing diameter of the.roll'ot' a'rrangeinen't of the shell for (llisconi'iection vwith the.winding drum pro` vides fora proper adjustment for the first exposurethus savi`ng`tini'e, lost motionand I inaccurate'setting'ofrthe film. ltlwill also .be notedjthat .the action 'of reiif'inding the 1201 filmupon. its

original spool restores thetenl sion ot the spring of the winding driim`readyvfor operation with the vnext roll' of film.

IDetail constructions' a uuml-,pr 0f .th'j12-5- parts herein have' beenshow #ind describedbut it'will be seen from the follo'iviilg claimsvconfinedj thereto-as changes may be 'made as found l desirable o rconvenient.`

to. rewind its spring 90 -'Ih e single hand 100 Abulb havingindej'ienden't tubes to theshiit- The i j connection and What `I claimis l. In an automatic film feed, a film wind- `ing lrol-l lprovided withautomaticvinding means, an escapeinent mechanism con` structed tocontrol thel extent of travel of `oscillating dogdevice cooperating withthe teeth of said escapement wheel. and pressure means mounted to engagean extended end `from said dog device t actuate the same.

3. In an automatic film feed, a film Winding roll providedWithvactuatiug means, an escapement wheel constructed to control thetravel of said rollfor predetermined irregular intervals, an oscillatingdog engaging the' teeth 'fsaid' wheel and having an operating extension,and a hand bulb having pressure operatedy means to engage and actuatesaid extension.

4. In an automatic film feed, a, film winding rollprovided withactuating-means, an Aescapement -wheel connected thereto and `havingteeth spaced at varying,` intervals, a

geared connection from said wheel to said roll` actuating means, anoscillating dog engaging the teeth of said wheel and having an operatingextension, a bulb disposed to actuate s'aid'extension, and a hand bulb`having a tube connection with said first mentioned bulb.

5. In an automatic film feed, a film Winding drum'provided withautomatic Winding means, means forcontrolling the movement of saiddrum,1a film holding shell rotatable upon said. drum, means for rotatingsaid i shell independent of the drum, and means` for connecting saidshell and drum for'joint rotation.

'6. In an automatic film feed, a film Winding drum provided withautomatic winding means, means for controlling the movement of saiddrum, a film holding shell slidable and rotatable uponsaid drum, meansfor rotating said shell independent-of the drum, and interlocking meansfor connecting said shell and drum for joint rotation by the slidingmovement.

7. In an automatic film feed, a headed film winding drum provided withactuating means, meansl for controllingthe movement of said drum, a filmholding shell slidable and rotatable upon said drum, interlockingprojections and recesses in the headsof said shell and drum, andanoperating'handle extended from one end of said shell.

f 8. In an automatic film feed, a film Winding drum, a shaft therefor,anactuating spring connected to saidshaft and drum, a pinion u )on saidshaft, an'escapement wheel provide with teeth at irregularly spacedintervals thereon and Witha gear uponfits,`

sl'iaft, coperating (gearing between said ear and pinion, and a ogdevice for .control ing' said escapement Wheel.

9. In an automatic film feed, afilm wind-y ing drum, 'a shaft therefor,an actuating spring connected to said" shaft and drum, a pinion uponsaid shaft, an Vescapement wheel provided with a gear upon its shaft,coperatinqr gearing between said gear and pinion, a f og device forcontrolling saides'- capemeiit \vheel,"a` film holding shell Slidablyand rotatabl f` .rmoiinted upon said drum, andfintcrlo'c iiiig means forconnecting said shell` and drum for joint rotation.

10. In an automatii film feed, a film Winding drum, a tension spring forrotating said drum in one direon, an scapement'meclianism for coiitrollg and arranged to permit rewinding of said spring, and a film spoolconnected by its film with said drum`and adapted to effect a lrewindingof said spring` as the film is re- Wound upon the spool afterl exposure.

U the travel of said drum,

11. In an automatic film feed, the combination of a camera casing, aspring actuated` film winding drum at one end thereof, a film spoolrotatably mounted at the oppo` site end thereof, `film.guiding meansdisposed intermediate Vsaid drum and s land constructed to exertretarding and rictional pressure upon the film, and n means forcontrolling the automatic rotation of said wind ing drum forpredetermined irregular in- V tervals of travel relative to body offilmWound thereon.

12. In an automatic film feed, a spring actuated film winding drum, anescapeiiient wheel arranged to (.'ontrolsaid drum for successivelydecreasing extentsof travel, a dog device for controlling said wheel,bulb voper- .ated means for actuating said dog device,

and means to effect a rewinding of the spring of said drum as the filmis removed therefrom. v

y13. In an automatic film feed, a film iviuding` roll provided with anautomatic winding spring, an escaliiement mechanism connected tocontroll said spring, means to release said cscapement, and means forrewinding the film from4 said roll onto its original spool and therebyrestoring the tension of said winding spring.

14. In an automatic film feed, a film winding roll provided withautomatic Winding means, an escapement mechanism connected to controlsaid' means, means to release said escapment, and means for rew-iiidiiigthe giu film from said lroll dndthereloyV plaeng the drum, and meansfoeonneetng said vdrum va\1ton 1a tc winding meansnnder tension. 'Y (mdmember for automatiojont rotation. 10 15. 1n un automatle film feed7 ayfilm wlnd- In testlmony whereof I4 'alx my slgnatul'e ing drum providedwith automatic winding -in the presence of two Witnesses. 5 means,`means. foircontrolling the movement CHARLES SPIR() .of saddruln, a filmrecevngmemloer dar AVVtnesseS: red by Said drum, means folnmnually ro-E. F. TIEDEMAN,

tatng 'saidy member independent of the 'y STEDHEN F. CURTIS.

